Make a Better Sandwich

It is not about bologna and cheese in a brown sack. Take along lunch fare is all about upscale yum. You can build your next double decker, open faced, pita, or tortilla wrapped sandwich using a variety of cheese, meats, and veggies that taste great grilled, broiled, wrapped, or served on the lighter side with an afternoon cup of tea.

Everybody wants a satisfying sandwich. Remember that your body takes longer to digest whole grain bread that the bleached, refined variety, and this keeps us fuller longer. So choose whole grain breads and gourmet tortillas made with spinach, corn, or tomato. Tortillas make for great wraps – a concept in sandwich building that transforms the classic looking double decker into a hearty treat resembling a burrito, and come in a virtual rainbow of colors, which plays a big part in their taste. For instance, spinach wraps are green, tomato wraps are pinkish red, and blue corn wraps are a pretty shade of indigo. Fill them with veggies sautéed in a pan, cheeses, refried beans, fresh salad ingredients, or any number of traditional sandwich fillings. Meats work great, also.

When it is sandwich time, don’t forget about whole grain pita bread. Pita comes in many flavors, plain, honey wheat, and onion, to name a few. Think pita when you want to give your sandwich a classy Mediterranean style presentation.

If you are looking for a sandwich to serve as an entrée, think open faced. Open faced sandwiches are to the traditional hand held sandwich what convertibles are to standard sedans, the top’s simply missing. Open faced sandwiches usually feature enough goodies to call for a knife and fork. Just like building any other kind of sandwich, don’t hesitate to load your open faced creation with roasted peppers, diced celery, sun dried tomatoes, or Portobello mushrooms, food that touch on the gourmet and give the standard lettuce and tomato a run for their money. Simple or complex, your sandwich knows few rules or boundaries when it comes to healthful toppers.

Some of your favorite condiments can contain hidden sugar or fat. Read the labels, and choose a good for you product. Or better yet, make your own ketchup with honey or sugar substitute in place of refined sugar and your own may with healthful safflower oil and your favorite flavorings.

The wonderful thing about sandwiches is that the supplies used in making them – like loaves of break – easily lend themselves to making more than one at a time. So when you’ve got a sack of bread out on the kitchen counter and are slicing, dicing, and layering your way to the Sandwich Heaven, make at least two and share them with a co worker or sweetheart. Go on a picnic. Well packed sandwiches are perfect for take along fare, airplane rides, or vacations.

And don’t forget that French fries are an obvious and tasty side dish to go with your sandwich. Buy a frozen bag of fries and bake, don’t fry, to cut down on the fat.